Flora and Fauna in India
Narak! My Lord, you are the creator of music
in the world of Lepchas
Oh Narak! My Lord, let me dedicate
myself to you
Let me gather your music from the
springs, the rivers, the mountains, the forests,
the insects and the animals
Let me gather your music from the sweet
breeze and offer it to you
Source: Lepcha folk song from northern part of
West Bengal
We share this planet with millions of other
living beings, starting from micro-organisms
and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees,
elephants and blue whales. This entire
habitat that we live in has immense
biodiversity. We humans along with all living
organisms form a complex web of ecological
system in which we are only a part and very
much dependent on this system for our own
existence. For example, the plants, animals
and micro-organisms re-create the quality of
the air we breathe, the water we drink and
the soil that produces our food without which
we cannot survive. Forests play a key role in
the ecological system as these are also the
primary producers on which all other living
beings depend.
Biodiversity or Biological Diversity is
immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated
species, diverse in form and function but
closely integrated in a system through
multiple network of interdependencies.
If you look around, you will be able to find
that there are some animals and plants which
are unique in your area. In fact, India is one
of the world’s richest countries in terms of
its vast array of biological diversity, and has
nearly 8 per cent of the total number of
species in the world (estimated to be 1.6
million). This is possibly twice or thrice the
number yet to be discovered. You have
already studied in detail about the extent
and variety of forest and wildlife resources
in India. Yo u m a y h a v e realised the
importance of these resources in our daily
life. These diverse flora and fauna are so
well integrated in our daily life that we take
these for granted. But, lately, they are under
great stress mainy due to insensitivity to
our environment.
Over 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000
species of flora are found in this country
so far? Of the estimated 47,000 plant
species, about 15,000 flowering species
are endemic (indigenous) to India.
Find out stories prevalent in your region
which are about the harmonious relationship
between human beings and nature.
Some estimates suggest that at least 10
per cent of India’s recorded wild flora and
20 per cent of its mammals are on the
threatened list. Many of these would now be
categorised as ‘critical’, that is on the verge
of extinction like the cheetah, pink-headed
duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet,
and plants like madhuca insignis (a wild
2015-16
variety of mahua) and h u b b a r d i a
heptaneuron,(a species of grass). In fact, no
one can say how many species may have
already been lost. Today, we only talk of the
larger and more visible animals and plants
that have become extinct but what about
smaller animals like insects and plants?
Do you know that among the larger
animals in India, 79 species of mammals,
44 of birds, 15 of reptiles, and 3 of
amphibians are threatened? Nearly 1,500
plant species are considered endangered.
Flowering plants and vertebrate animals
have recently become extinct at a rate
estimated to be 50 to 100 times the
average expected natural rate.
Vanishing Forests
The dimensions of deforestation in India are
staggering. The forest and tree cover in the
country is estimated at 78.92 million hectare,
which is 24.01 per cent of the total
geographical area (dense forest 12.24 per
cent; open forest 8.99 per cent; and
mangrove 0.14 per cent). According to the
State of Forest Report (2013), the dense forest
cover has increased by 10,098 sq km since
1997. However, this apparent increase in the
forest cover is due to plantation by different
agencies.
Fig. 2.1
Let us now understand the different
categories of existing plants and animal
species. Based on the International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN), we can classify as
follows –
Normal Species: Species whose population
levels are considered to be normal for
their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine,
rodents, etc.
Endangered Species: These are species
which are in danger of extinction. The
survival of such species is difficult if the
negative factors that have led to a decline in
their population continue to operate. The
examples of such species are black buck,
crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion
tailed macaque, sangai (brow anter deer in
Manipur), etc.
Vulnerable Species: These are species
whose population has declined to levels from
where it is likely to move into the endangered
category in the near future if the negative
factors continue to operate. The examples of
such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephant,
Gangetic dolphin, etc.
R a r e S p e c i e s : Species with small
population may move into the endangered
or vulnerable category if the negative factors
affecting them continue to operate. The
examples of such species are the Himalayan
brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox
and hornbill, etc.
Endemic Species: These are species which
are only found in some particular areas
usually isolated by natural or geographical
barriers. Examples of such species are the
Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman
wild pig, mithun in Arunchal Pradesh.
Extinct Species: These are species which
are not found after searches of known or
likely areas where they may occur. A species
may be extinct from a local area, region,
country, continent or the entire earth.
Examples of such species are the Asiatic
cheetah, pink head duck.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 15
2015-16
 Fig. 2.2: A few extinct, rare and endangered species
Asiatic Cheetah: where did they go?
The world’s fastest land mammal, the
cheetah (Acinonyx jubantus), is a unique and
specialised member of the cat family and
can move at the speed of 112 km./hr. The
cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. Its
distinguishing marks are the long teardrop-
shaped lines on each side of the nose from
the corner of its eyes to its mouth. Prior to
the 20th century, cheetahs were widely
distributed throughout Africa and Asia.
Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct
due to a decline of available habitat and
prey. The species was declared extinct in
India long back in 1952.
What are the negative factors that cause such
fearful depletion of the flora and fauna?
If you look around, you will be able to find
out how we have transformed nature into a
resource obtaining directly and indirectly from
the forests and wildlife – wood, barks, leaves,
rubber, medicines, dyes, food, fuel, fodder,
manure, etc. So it is we ourselves who have
16 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
depleted our forests and wildlife. The greatest
damage inflicted on Indian forests was during
the colonial period due to the expansion of the
railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific
forestry and mining activities. Even after
Independence, agricultural expansion
continues to be one of the major causes of
depletion of forest resources. Between 1951 and
1980, according to the Forest Survey of India,
over 26,200 sq. km. of forest area was converted
into agricultural land all over India. Substantial
parts of the tribal belts, especially in the north-
eastern and central India, have been deforested
or degraded by shifting cultivation (jhum), a type
of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Are colonial forest policies
to be blamed?
Some of our environmental activists say that
the promotion of a few favoured species, in
many parts of India, has been carried
through the ironically-termed “enrichment
plantation”, in which a single commercially
valuable species was extensively planted
and other species eliminated. For instance,
2015-16
 teak monoculture has damaged the natural
forest in South India and Chir Pine (Pinus
roxburghii) plantations in the Himalayas
have replaced the Himalayan oak (Quercius
spp.) and Rhododendron forests.
Large-scale development projects have also
contributed significantly to the loss of forests.
Since 1951, over 5,000 sq km of forest was
cleared for river valley projects. Clearing of
forests is still continuing with projects like the
Narmada Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh,
which would inundate 40,000 hectares of
forest. Mining is another important factor
behind deforestation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve
in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the
ongoing dolomite mining. It has disturbed the
natural habitat of many species and blocked
the migration route of several others, including
the great Indian elephant.
Many foresters and environmentalists hold
the view that the greatest degrading factors
behind the depletion of forest resources are
grazing and fuel-wood collection. Though, there
may be some substance in their argument, yet,
Tribal girls using bamboo saplings in a
nursery at Mukhali near Silent Valley
Tribal women selling minor forest produce
Fig. 2.3
the fact remains that a substantial part of the
fuel-fodder demand is met by lopping rather
than by felling entire trees. The forest
ecosystems are repositories of some of the
country’s most valuable forest products,
minerals and other resources that meet the
demands of the rapidly expanding industrial-
urban economy. These protected areas, thus
mean different things to different people, and
therein lies the fertile ground for conflicts.
The Himalayan Yew in trouble
The Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallachiana) is a
medicinal plant found in various parts of
Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
A chemical compound called ‘taxol’ is
extracted from the bark, needles, twigs and
roots of this tree, and it has been successfully
used to treat some cancers – the drug is now
the biggest selling anti-cancer drug in the
world. The species is under great threat due
to over-exploitation. In the last one decade,
thousands of yew trees have dried up in
various parts of Himachal Pradesh and
Arunachal Pradesh.
Leaf litter collection by women folk
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 17
2015-16
 Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching,
over-exploitation, environmental pollution,
poisoning and forest fires are factors, which
have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity.
Other important causes of environmental
destruction are unequal access, inequitable
consumption of resources and differential
sharing of responsibility for environmental
well-being. Over-population in third world
countries is often cited as the cause of
environmental degradation. However, an
average American consumes 40 times more
resources than an average Somalian. Similarly,
the richest five per cent of Indian society
probably cause more ecological damage
because of the amount they consume than the
poorest 25 per cent. The former shares
minimum responsibilities for environmental
well-being. The question is: who is consuming
what, from where and how much?
Do you know that over half of India’s
natural forests are gone, one-third of its
wetlands drained out, 70 per cent of its
surface water bodies polluted, 40 per cent
of its mangroves wiped out, and with
continued hunting and trade of wild
animals and commercially valuable
plants, thousands of plant and animal
species are heading towards extinction?
Have you noticed any activity which leads
to the loss of biodiversity around you? Write
a note on it and suggest some measures to
prevent it.
The destruction of forests and wildlife is not
just a biological issue. The biological loss is
strongly correlated with the loss of cultural
diversity. Such losses have increasingly
marginalised and impoverished many
indigenous and other forest-dependent
communities, who directly depend on various
components of the forest and wildlife for food,
drink, medicine, culture, spirituality, etc.
Within the poor, women are affected more than
18 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
men. In many societies, women bear the major
responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water
and other basic subsistence needs. As these
resources are depleted, the drudgery of women
increases and sometimes they have to walk for
more than 10 km to collect these resources.
This causes serious health problems for women
and negligence of home and children because
of the increased hours of work, which often has
serious social implications. The indirect impact
of degradation such as severe drought or
deforestation-induced floods, etc. also hits the
poor the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a
direct outcome of environmental destruction.
Therefore, forest and wildlife, are vital to the
quality of life and environment in the
subcontinent. It is imperative to adapt to sound
forest and wildlife conservation strategies.
Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
Conservation in the background of rapid
decline in wildlife population and forestry has
become essential. But why do we need to
conserve our forests and wildlife? Conservation
preserves the ecological diversity and our life
support systems – water, air and soil. It also
preserves the genetic diversity of plants and
animals for better growth of species and
breeding. For example, in agriculture, we are
still dependent on traditional crop varieties.
Fisheries too are heavily dependent on the
maintenance of aquatic biodiversity.
In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists
demanded a national wildlife protection
programme. The Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Act was implemented in 1972, with various
provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India
list of protected species was also published.
The thrust of the programme was towards
protecting the remaining population of certain
endangered species by banning hunting,
giving legal protection to their habitats, and
restricting trade in wildlife. Subsequently,
central and many state governments
established national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries about which you have already
studied. The central government also
announced several projects for protecting
specific animals, which were gravely
threatened, including the tiger, the one-
2015-16
 Fig. 2.4: Rhino and deer in Kaziranga National Park
horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or
hangul, three types of crocodiles – fresh water
crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial,
the Asiatic lion, and others. Most recently, the
Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the
great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow
leopard, etc. have been given full or partial
legal protection against hunting and trade
throughout India.
Project Tiger
Tiger is one of the key wildlife species in
the faunal web. In 1973, the authorities
realised that the tiger population had
dwindled to 1,827 from an estimated
55,000 at the turn of the century. The major
threats to tiger population are numerous,
such as poaching for trade, shrinking
habitat, depletion of prey base species,
growing human population, etc. The trade
of tiger skins and the use of their bones in
traditional medicines, especially in the
Asian countries left the tiger population on
the verge of extinction. Since India and
Nepal provide habitat to about two-thirds
of the surviving tiger population in the
world, these two nations became prime
targets for poaching and illegal trading.
“Project Tiger”, one of the well-
publicised wildlife campaigns in the world,
was launched in 1973. Initially, it showed
success as the tiger population went up to
4,002 in 1985 and 4,334 in 1989. But in
1993, the population of the tiger had
Source :
*Natinal Tiger Coservation Authority, Ministry of Environment Forest, Govternment of India, 2009-10
dropped to 3,600. There were 39 tiger
reserves in India covering an area of
32137.14 sq km* Tiger conservation has
been viewed not only as an effort to save
an endangered species, but with equal
importance as a means of preserving
biotypes of sizeable magnitude. Corbett
National Park in Uttarakhand, Sunderbans
National Park in West Bengal, Bandhavgarh
National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Sariska
Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, Manas
Tiger Reserve in Assam and Periyar Tiger
Reserve in Kerala are some of the tiger
reserves of India.
The conservation projects are now focusing
on biodiversity rather than on a few of its
components. There is now a more intensive
search for different conservation measures.
Increasingly, even insects are beginning to find
a place in conservation planning. In the
notification under Wildlife Act of 1980 and
1986, several hundred butterflies, moths,
beetles, and one dragonfly have been added to
the list of protected species. In 1991, for the
first time plants were also added to the list,
starting with six species.
Collect more information on the wildlife
sanctuaries and national parks of India and
cite their locations on the map of India.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 19
2015-16
 Can you find out the reasons for the above mentioned problems?
Types and Distribution of Forest and
Wildlife Resources
Even if we want to conserve our vast forest and
wildlife resources, it is rather difficult to
manage, control and regulate them. In India,
much of its forest and wildlife resources are
either owned or managed by the government
through the Forest Department or other
government departments. These are classified
under the following categories.
(i) Reserved Forests: More than half of the
total forest land has been declared
reserved forests. Reserved forests are
regarded as the most valuable as far as the
conservation of forest and wildlife resources
are concerned.
(ii) Protected Forests: Almost one-third of the
total forest area is protected forest, as declared
by the Forest Department. This forest land are
protected from any further depletion.
20 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
(iii) Unclassed Forests: These are other
forests and wastelands belonging to
both government and private individuals
and communities.
Reserved and protected forests are also
referred to as permanent forest estates
maintained for the purpose of producing
timber and other forest produce, and for
protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the
largest area under permanent forests,
constituting 75 per cent of its total forest area.
Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West
Bengal, and Maharashtra have large
percentages of reserved forests of its total forest
area whereas Bihar, Haryana, Punjab,
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan have
a bulk of it under protected forests. All North-
eastern states and parts of Gujarat have a very
high percentage of their forests as unclassed
forests managed by local communities.
2015-16
Community and Conservation
Conservation strategies are not new in our
country. We often ignore that in India, forests
are also home to some of the traditional
communities. In some areas of India, local
communities are struggling to conserve these
habitats along with government officials,
recognising that only this will secure their own
long-term livelihood. In Sariska Tiger Reserve,
Rajasthan, villagers have fought against
mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act. In
many areas, villagers themselves are protecting
habitats and explicitly rejecting government
involvement. The inhabitants of five villages in
the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared
1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev
Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, declaring their own set of
rules and regulations which do not allow
hunting, and are protecting the wildlife against
any outside encroachments.
Sacred groves - a wealth of diverse
and rare species
Nature worship is an age old tribal belief
based on the premise that all creations of
nature have to be protected. Such beliefs
have preserved several virgin forests in
pristine form called Sacred Groves (the
forests of God and Goddesses). These
patches of forest or parts of large forests have
been left untouched by the local people and
any interference with them is banned.
Certain societies revere a particular tree
which they have preserved from time
immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhal of
Chota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia
latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus
cadamba) trees, and the tribals of Odisha and
Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus
indica) and mango (Mangifera indica) trees
during weddings. To many of us, peepal and
banyan trees are considered sacred.
Indian society comprises several
cultures, each with its own set of traditional
methods of conserving nature and its
creations. Sacred qualities are often
ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants
and animals which are closely protected. You
will find troops of macaques and langurs
around many temples. They are fed daily
and treated as a part of temple devotees. In
and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan,
herds of blackbuck, (chinkara), nilgai and
peacocks can be seen as an integral part of
the community and nobody harms them.
Write a short essay on any practices which
you may have observed and practised in
your everyday lives that conserve and protect
the environment around you.
The famous Chipko movement in the
Himalayas has not only successfully resisted
deforestation in several areas but has also shown
that community afforestation with indigenous
species can be enormously successful.
Attempts to revive the traditional conservation
methods or developing new methods of
ecological farming are now widespread. Farmers
and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao
Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown
that adequate levels of diversified crop
production without the use of synthetic
chemicals are possible and economically viable.
In India joint forest management (JFM)
programme furnishes a good example for
involving local communities in the
management and restoration of degraded
forests. The programme has been in formal
existence since 1988 when the state of Odisha
passed the first resolution for joint forest
management. JFM depends on the formation
of local (village) institutions that undertake
protection activities mostly on degraded forest
land managed by the forest department. In
return, the members of these communities are
entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber
forest produces and share in the timber
harvested by ‘successful protection’.
The clear lesson from the dynamics of both
environmental destruction and reconstruction
in India is that local communities everywhere
have to be involved in some kind of natural
resource management. But there is still a long
way to go before local communities are at the
centre-stage in decision-making. Accept only
those economic or developmental activities,
that are people centric, environment-friendly
and economically rewarding.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 21
2015-16
 “The tree is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence and
makes no demand for its sustenance, and extends generously the products of its
life activity. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axemen
who destroy it”.
Gautama Buddha (487 B.C.)

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES E XERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which of these statements is not a valid reason for the depletion of flora
and fauna?
(a) Agricultural expansion.
(b) Large scale developmental projects.
(c) Grazing and fuel wood collection.
(d) Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.

(ii) Which of the following conservation strategies do not directly involve

community participation?
(a) Joint forest management (c) Chipko Movement
(b) Beej Bachao Andolan (d) Demarcation of Wildlife sanctuaries

2. Match the following animals with their category of existence.

Animals/Plants Category of existence

Black buck Extinct

Asiatic elephant Rare
Andaman wild pig Endangered
Himalayan brown bear Vulnerable
Pink head duck Endemic

3. Match the following.

Reserved forests other forests and wastelands belonging to both

Protected forests
Unclassed forests
government and private individuals and
communities
forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the
conservation of forest and wildlife resources
forest lands are protected from any further depletion

4. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives?
(ii) How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna? Explain.

5. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife
in India?
(ii) Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.

22 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

2015-16